Pressing iron



J. K. SEBO PRESS ING IRON Feb. 4, 1941.

Filed Aug. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jaleus 11351960 4 34- INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1941. Q J 5530 2,230,815

. PRESSING IRON Filed Aug. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jazz-m5. 5060 ATTO RN EY Patented Feb. 4, i941 irEofsTAr PAT FFICEV raassmo mos Application August 29,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to pressing irons, particularly of the type designed for generating steam for discharge upon the material being pressed during the ironing operation.

t cognizance is taken of other devices intended to perform the aforesaid function, but it has been found that many of suchdevices generally discharge extremely wet steam and quantities of water, thereby not only producing unsatisfactory m results, but also requiring frequent refillings of the water chamber or boiler within the iron. It is primarily within the contemplation of my invention to eliminate these shortcomings that are inherent in most commercial devices of this class, m an objective, which I accomplish by providing a secondary or intermediate steam chamber wherein the hot liquid condensate or previously generated steam is-heated or superheated to produce dry steam, in one form of my device, or steam of a predetermined degree-oi wetness in other forms. It is another object of my invention to provide a safe and positive means of generating steam within the body of the iron, and distributing it to various portions of the sole plate of the iron for discharge upon the material being pressed.

Another object of my invention is to enable ready access to be had to the interior of the iron,

for repair or replacement of parts. And in this aspect of my invention, it is another object to enahle the device to be readily assembled and dis assembled. I

\Certain steaming irons are outside of the popular price range because of the high cost of their manufacture, this being generally due to the intricate machining operations required for the production of the various steam conduits. It is one of my objectives to reduce the manufacturing cost of devices of this category by providing a separate unit containing a suitable conduit system completely assembled outside of the iron proper, and adapted to be readily and easily assembled in place without any machining operations.

It is a matter of common knowledge that some materials, such as short fibre cotton goods or starch-containing material, require wet steam, whereas others, such as silks and rayons, require relatively plation of this invention to enable a single form .50 of iron to be adapted to operatively produce either dry or wet steam, without any structural changes therein other than the employment of a readily interchangeable or movable element of predetermined heat-transmitting properties. I

And another object of this invention is to atd ry steam. It is within the conteme 1939, Serial No. 292,413

tain the aforesaid objectives with a simple and easily handled device.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and a description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a vertical section of, a pressing iron showing one embodiment of my invention.

* Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 taken substantially along line iii-t m Figure 3 is a section of Figure 1 taken along line 3-3.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the device of Figure 1.'

Figure 5 is a section of Figure 1 taken substantially along line t---t.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section of the device of Figure 1 taken substantially along line S5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary vertical section sub- W stantially like that of Figure 3, of a'modified form of my invention, and

Figure 8 is a sectionlike Figure 7 of still another modified iorm of my invention.

In the drawings the pressing iron is illustrated as containing a sole plate it upon which is superimposed the hollow shell il and the inner unit it comprising a cover plate It for the saidsole plate, a secondary or intermediate chamber i l, and inlet and outlet steam pipes to be hereinafter described. The sole plate it contains the depressed 30 portion it along the middle and rear thereof for accommodating the electric heating element iii .of conventional structure well-knownvin the art. The forward region of the sole plate is provided at the upper surface thereof with a circular re- .cessed portion ii accommodating a cylindrical shell it which extends upwardly into the hollow interior It of the casing 26 formed integral with the forward portion of the member I 2. Theshell 4 it hence forms the outlet steam chamber 2| cornmunicatingwith the perforations 22 at the base of this chamber, and with the two distributing conduits 23 and 25 positioned within the substantially longitudinal channels or grooves 25 and 26, respectively, at the lateral sides of the sole plate. The undersides of said conduits 23 and 24 contain a plurality of spaced perforations 21 which are in registry with a corresponding plurality of per-- forations 28 in the sole plate. It will thus be seen that the outlet chamber 2i communicates with 50 the surface 29 of the sole plate through the perfunctions 22 and 281.

- The upper wall 30 of the shell ll slopes upwardly in a forwardly direction, the forward portion thereof containing an opening 34 in com-t5 iii munication with the interior of the primary steam chamber 32 formed by the elongated tubular casing 33 and the flange 34 mounted upon and secured to said wall 30. The outer surface of casing 33 above flange 34 is threaded, and has mounted thereover the nut 35 adapted to cooperate with the U-shaped plate 36 secured by'screw means 31 to the handle 38 for the urpose of holding said handle in fixed and secured position upon shell Y Suitably secured to the wall of the intermediate chamber I4 and communicating with the interior thereof is the steam inlet pipe 39, the upper end of which extends through opening 3| and into the primary chamber 32 to the upper region thereof. It will be noted that the said opening.

3|, being in the elevated forward portion of the shell Ii, is at a higher level than the roof or uppermost portion 49 of intermediate chamber l4, and that the uppermost terminal 4| of pipe 39 is considerably above the highest portion of the shell H which forms the main water reservoir of the iron. The upper portion 42 of the intermediate chamber I4 is preferably of reduced proportions, and has suitably attached thereto the outlet pipe 43 which extends through the casing 20 .and communicates with the outlet steam chamber 2|.

. The cover plate I3 of the unit I2 contains the boss 44 whichis superimposed upon a corre--' sponding boss 45 on the sole plate; and the two plates l3 and I are secured together by the screw 46 in operative engagement with said bosses. In vertical registry with said screw 46 is the cap "which is ,suitably'secured in any known manner within the recessed portion 48 of theroof 30 of shell III, the said cap 41 forming a closure for the opening 49 in said recessed portion.

As aforesaid, the handle 38 is provided at th forward portion thereof with the U-shaped holding plate 36 which isdisposed between nut 35 and the flange 34. Upona rotative manipulation of nut 35, the plate 36 can be forced downwardly for securing the handle 38 in place. The rear portion of the handle contains a hollow or recessed portion 56, this being provided with a cover plate secured by fasteners 52 to the handle as shown. The front wall 53 of the hollow portion 53 has secured thereto the plate 54 which in turn is secured to the angle bar 55 welded to the top of shell II, the screws 56 operatively extending through the angle bar 55 and plate 54.' Extending through an aperture 61 in the lateral wall of the hollow portion 56 of the handle are the insulated electric wires 53, which are electrically joined at 59 to the wires 60 extending down through the conduit or channel 6| for electrical connection with the heating elements l6. The conductors 66 are illustrated as being surrounded by suitable insulation such as 62 within the conduit 6|.

In the operation of this device water is poured through the opening 63 (see Figure 3) in the 75 bling surface of the boiling body of water in the shell to reach the upper terminal 4| of the pipe 39, particularly while the iron is at rest. But when the iron is operatively manipulated, the consequent agitation of the water within the shell may cause not only the steam but also quantities of water to enter the primary chamber 32 and pass into the opening 4| of said pipe 39. To avoid permitting such wet fluids to. pass directly to the sole plate, as occurs in most conventional structures of this class, any steam, water or condensate that had reached the upper region of the primary chamber 32 is directed through inlet pipe 39 into the secondary or intermediate chamber I4. Assoon as any of these fluids strike the walls or the base plate'65 forming the floorof the chamber l4, it will immediately be transformed into relatively dry steam under the influence of the heating element l6 therebelow. This superheated or dry steam naturally rises and enters the outlet pipe 43, wherefrom it flows into the outlet chamber 2| to be distributed to the perforations 22 and 28 and discharged therefrom upon the materlal being ironed. And during the entire time that the steam is being generated within the shell II, the cycle above described is in continuous process, the wet steam and water particles rising to the top of the primary chamber 32 to be conducted into the intermediate chamber l4, and then transformed into relatively dry steam upon contact with the plate 65 or the walls of the chamber which are heated by conduction.

It will be observed that it is utterly impossible for any water or wet steam originally generated in the boiler or shell l8 to pass directly either to the material being ironed, or to the chamber i4, the path of such steam being circuitous and extending from the highest point of the shell to an outwardly disposed chamber 32 and then back again into the interior of the shell H to the intermediate chamber l4. And it will further be observed that the walls of the chamber l4 are at all times in a highly heated condition, due to the direct conduction of the heat from the heating elements l6, and. also due to the fact that certain of these walls are surrounded by a hot fluid. Due to the fact that the primary chamber 32 is disposed at the forward and highest part of the shell, it is obvious that as soon as steam or vapors are generated they will immediately pass up into the saidchamber; and due to the fact that the intermediate chamber i4 is disposed at the rear of the shell, the fluid or condensate flowing through pipe 39 will pursue an extended course, as aforesaid.

Should it be desired to stand the iron on end with the forward portion upwardly disposed, as

is frequently done between pressing operations,

it is obvious that any condensate that may be present in the pipe 39 will immediately flow into the intermediate chamber l4.

If it is desired to disassemble this device, or to separate the member |2 from the sole plate I, the cap 41 is removed by any convenient means, and a screw driver inserted throughthe opening 49 to rotatively manipulate the screw 46, whereby the sole plate can readily be detache'd. In the event it is desired to sever the conductors from the wires 58, all that need be done is to remove the cover plate 5| and disconnect the two sets of wires.

In Figure 7 is'shown a slightly modified form of my invention in which the floor plate 66 is slightly difierentinigrm from plate 65 shown tion, the plate constituting the floor of the intermediate chamber I4 is elevatedabove the region of the heating elements ii to provide an air space 81, the said plate being secured in place by means of the flanges-88 in underlying enga ment with the recessed portions at the base of the chamber.

The space 61 obviously serves as an insulating medium and thereby reduces the temperature of plate 66, so that the fluids entering the chamber will be transformed into a wetter steam than that produced by the first-described structure.

In the further modification of Figure 8 it will be seen that the floor plate 69 has superimposed thereon a layer 10 of insulating material, preferably of absorbent properties such as plaster of Paris, whereby the fluid entering the intermediate chamber will be absorbed by the said layer and then evaporated under theinfluence of the heating element, to produce relatively wet steam, wherever that may be necessary.

It will be observed that in the forms of my invention shown in Figures 3, 7 and 8, the floor plates 65, 61 and 69 can be interchangeably employed without altering the rest of the structure, so that irons of this type can be readily fabricated for generating steam of various predetermined degrees of wetness.

It will also be noted that the unit II, with the pipes 39 and 43 can be readily assembled in convenient manner, and then secured in place and encased within the shell ll, without any inachining operations.

It is of course understood that the structure above described and shown in the drawings is illustratlvepf my invention and not employed by way of limitation, inasmuch as numerous changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is: v 1. Ina pressing iron, a' perforated sole plate, a-water reservoir thereabove, a primary steam chamber communicating with the upper portion of the reservoir and disposed at the front portion thereof, an intermediate steam chamber positioned within said water reservoir rearwardly with respect to said primarychamber and in communication therewith, an outlet steam chamher at the region of the front of thesoie 'plate 1 and communicating with the perforations in the sole plate. steam conduit means between the intermediate and outlet chambers, and electric heating means between said sole plate and the undersides of said reservoir and intermediate chamber.

2. In a pressing iron, a perforated sole plate, a water reservoir. thereabove, a primary steam chamber communicating with the upper portion of the reservoir and disposed at the front portion thereof, an intermediate steam chamber positioned within said water reservoir rearwardly with respect to saidprimary chamber and in communication I therewith, saidintermediate chamber being disposed in contact with the sole plate, the underside of the intermediate chamber comprising a. removable [member .of predetermined heat-transmitting properties, conduit means between the intermediate chamber and the perforations in the sole plate, and electric heating means disposed between the upper surfaceof the sole plate and theundersides of said reservoir and intermediate chamber.

3. In a pressing iron, the combination according to claim 2, the said removable member having a portion thereof elevated and in spaced relation to the heating means.

1 4. In a pressing iron, the combination according to claim 2, further provided with a layer of porous heat-insulating material over said rethe handle having secured thereto a U-shaped plate straddling the said casing, and a nut in threaded engagement with said casing and in engagement with the upper surface of the plate for forcing it and the handledowm towards the shell upon a rotary manipulation of the nut; and steam conduit means communicating between 7 said primary chamber and the perforations in the sole plate.

JULIUS K. SEBO. 

